WWI Project
Weapons of War&
Trench Warfare
By Shelby Powers
Weapons• Rifle• Machine Gun• Gas• Pistol• Bayonets
• Zeppelin• Tank• Planes • Torpedoes• Grenades
Which weapon was most commonly used in WWI?
Rifle
• Advantages-Most widely used
-1,400 meters was average range
-Could be operated by one soldier
• Disadvantages-Accuracy was only 600 meters-Had to take time to refill it
Machine Gun
• Advantages-Kill many people at once-Long range-Other countries had to make new fighting strategies
• Disadvantages-Ammunition was heavy
-Gun itself was bigger and heavier-Inaccurate compared to rifle-Often got overheated-Took 2-3 people to move and fire
*French-worst*Germans-best
Bayonets
• Advantages-New bayonets were produced enabling soldiers to shoot with bayonet still in place-Defensive weapon-Used with close contact fighting-Used for food
• Disadvantages-Not everyone was well trained with the bayonet-Risk getting shot
Gas
• Advantage-Killed many people at once
• Disadvantages-Gas masks
-Had to carry around-Ran out fast
*First used by the French
Grenades
• Advantages-Killed people in large amounts-Could be thrown into an exact location
• Disadvantages-Tiring to carry around-Ran out quickly
*How did it work?
Torpedoes
• Used by submarines
• Germans used them
• Used to blow up ships from America-Britain
Zeppelin
• Air ship (Blimp)• Rigid so it could be
bigger• Powerful engines
• Metal• Gasbags with
helium• Carried weapons• Abandoned quickly
Planes
• Advantage-Weapons could be delivered fast to the soldiers-Spied on other people
• Disadvantage-Could be shot down
- “Dogfights” (fighter planes)
Tank
• Used for the first time in WWI• Needed 3 people• Maximum Speed?• 3 mph!• Couldn’t cross
trenches• New tanks were made toward end of
the war
Trench Warfare• What is it?
-warfare in which the opposing forces attack and counterattack from a relatively permanent system of trenches protected by barbed-wire entanglement.
http://www.merriam-webster.com
/dictionary
/trench%20warfare
Combat in which each side has a system of protective trenches
Trench – top view
Problems in the Trenches
• Rat problems (1 pair = 900 offspring)
• Smell of rotting bodies
• Trench fever caused by lice
• Death• Trench Foot• Frogs• Many more
Sources
• http://www.firstworldwar.com/weaponry/rifles.htm
• http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWbayonet.htm
• http://www.firstworldwar.com/weaponry/bayonets.htm
• http://www.howstuffworks.com/grenade.htm
• http://www.historyonthenet.com/WW1/weapons.htm
• http://jimmythejock.hubpages.com/hub/World_War_1_Trench_Warfare
The End!